The bitwisted Cartesian model for the free loop fibration (Q1009737)

The free loop space \(LY\) of a topological space \(Y\) is the space of all continuous maps from the circle into \(Y\). It admits a simplicial chain coalgebra model \(C_*(LY)\) which is a twisted tensor product ``à la Brown'' \(C_*(Y)\otimes_{\tau_*}\Omega C_*(Y)\), where \(\tau_* = ad_*\) is a twisting cochain induced from the conjugation action of \(\Omega C_*(Y)\) (coefficients in a commutative ring with identity). This model is however difficult to work with since as mentioned, it is in general hard to write down explicit formulae for \(ad_*\). The author in this paper constructs an alternative chain complex model for \(LY\), which he then uses to make a useful computation as we shall state next. For each cocycle \(z\in C^n(Y)\), there is a well-defined class \(Sq_1(z) = [z\cup_1z]\in H^{2n-1}(Y)\). Suppose \(H^*(Y) = S(U)\) is a polynomial algebra such that \(Sq_1=0\), and let \(\Lambda (s^{-1}U)\) be the exterior algebra over the desuspension of the polynomial generators \(U\). The main application of this paper is to establish the following algebra isomorphisms \[ H^*(LY)\cong S(U)\otimes \Lambda (s^{-1}U)\cong H^*(Y)\otimes H^*(\Omega Y). \] The construction of the model is however technical and consists in exhibiting for \(X\) a \(1\)-reduced simplicial set and \(Q\) a monoidal cubical set, a \textit{bitwisted} cartesian product \(X{_\tau\times_\tau}Q\) which has a natural \textit{\(F_n\)-structure} (i.e. a ``cubical variant'' of a simplicial structure) and a normalized chain complex denoted \(C_*^\odot (X{_\tau\times_\tau}Q)\). One obtains a differential graded coalgebra model for \(LY\) by setting \(X=Sing^1Y\) the Eilenberg 1-subcomplex of the singular simplical set \(Sing Y\), and \(Q=\Omega Sing^1 Y\) the monoidal cubical set constructed in [\textit{T. Kadeishvili} and \textit{S. Saneblidze}, J. Pure Appl. Algebra 196, No.~2--3, 203--228 (2005; Zbl 1069.55011)] with universal truncating twisting function \(\tau =\tau_U : X\rightarrow\Omega X\). It is shown how this construction relates to the so-called Hochschild-Cartier complex and the Adams-cobar construction.